I have been enjoying good whiskey and bourbon lately more than I have in the past. I have become partial to the “Old Fashioned” which is a cocktail comprised of bourbon (or even better with rye whiskey), simple syrup, a dash of orange bitters and a large strip of orange zest. One very common addition to this delicious cocktail is a brandied cherry (or five of them!), and in my humble opinion, this is what makes this cocktail fantastic.
I went on a search high and low at large and small gourmet groceries, high-end liquor stores and any other place that I thought might carry brandied cherries. Much to my surprise, they were very hard to find, very expensive, and at the end of the day… not as good as I had hoped. I spoke to several of the bartenders and waitstaff of the establishments that I have been enjoying a good cocktail at and asked where they were getting their brandied cherries. Once again, to my surprise, they were all making them in house. I thought this was a fantastic idea that I should be doing at home too.
This time of year we are getting into the tail end of cherry season and what better way to keep warm on an impending winter evening than enjoying a good cocktail with a summer fruit that you preserved yourself, especially when it is so darn easy. I am a fan of cherries to begin with, as I have been known to eat a whole bag of them in one sitting, but I am always sad when they start to disappear for the season from the farmer’s markets and produce sections. Now I can have cherries year round, granted I don’t think I will be eating a whole jar of them, but they do make a great cocktail and satiate my desire for a sweet fruit in the middle of winter.
Here is the recipe that I have developed for the best Brandied Cherries ever! This recipe can also be easily doubled and tripled if you have the time to pit all of those cherries. I personally did eight pounds of cherries this year and bought myself an early Christmas present… a cherry pitter.
Mario’s Brandied Cherries
2lb washed and pitted sweet cherries, such as bing cherries
1 Cup water or a mix of water and the juice of the cherries from pitting them.
½ Cup light brown sugar, packed
½ Cup turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw)
2 Cups brandy, don’t get something really expensive, but make sure it is of good quality.
A cinnamon stick and a couple of cloves
A couple of mason jars and lids
Start by placing the water, sugars and spices in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer to dissolve the sugars. Turn off the heat and add the brandy, stir to incorporate.
Place the pitted cherries into mason jars, packing them in as tightly as possible without crushing them. Pour the warm brandy sugar mixture into the jars to completely cover the cherries. Place the lids on and let sit at room temperature until cool. Refrigerate and anxiously wait for at least 2 weeks to enjoy them. They will last in the refrigerator for at least 4 months, if you have them that long!
I am also starting to find other uses for these other than just elevating your favorite whiskey cocktail. They make an awesome cherry pie and if you save the liquid, you have an amazing cherry infused brandy that you can use to mix into your own cocktail creations.
Are there any fun things that you like to make with Brandied Cherries?
